Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Bad Teacher Blu-ray Movie Review

'Bad teacher' makes a good movie.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 13, 2011

I don’t need a blackboard or a classroom to set an example.

Bad Teacher has "bad movie" written all over it, but for once in modern-day Hollywood, a movie defies expectations. Looks usually aren't deceiving anymore; the GIGO, or "garbage in, garbage out," rule easily transitions to film -- and modern film in particular -- and these sorts of foul-mouthed trendy Comedies don't usually yield many net positive results. Bad Teacher isn't an exception in that it serves no real purpose outside of raw entertainment. Where it is an exception is that it never tries to go beyond its built-in limitations. The movie is funny - - it's not the funniest ever made, but it's quite the serviceable gut-buster -- and it never strives to be anything but funny. It's raunchy but not excessively so, its characters are well-developed and relatable, and it exudes a sense of genre authenticity by adhering to principles that keep it on the straight and narrow even when it's going gangbusters all over the place in the tit-for-tat war between two superficially polar opposite teachers who really aren't all that different underneath their conflicting demeanors.

Box shot.

Teacher not-so-extraordinaire Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is leaving JAM (John Adams Middle School) after only one year, but she still has her dignity and a $37 gift card to Boston Market to show for her troubles. Her hope is to quietly step away and marry the man of her dreams -- well, OK, the man of her bank account's dreams -- and live the good life she deserves. Those dreams are shattered when hubby-to-be and his outspoken mother call off the wedding when they call out Elizabeth for being the gold digger she not-so-subtly really is. So it's back to JAM for another year of low pay, long hours, and high stress for Elizabeth. All she wants to do is find a man that can keep her wallet fat and worship her thin body. The pickings are slim for a middle school teacher, particularly at work where her "best" option is the gym teacher (Jason Segel) with no real future and no more than four dogs, a few dollars, and his next paycheck to his name. She's also the school's most anti-social faculty member, and she's certainly not going to befriend the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed go-getter across the hall, Miss Squirrel (Lucy Punch). When a wealthy substitute teacher named Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake) becomes a mainstay at the school, Elizabeth believes she's met Mr. Right. But Squirrel's got her beady, greedy eyes on Scott, too, so Elizabeth does what any upstanding female would do to win over her man: she plans to have her breasts surgically enlarged. Unfortunately, she has no way of paying for the costly operation, so she has no choice but to become "creative" in her teaching methods and increase her status at school, at least as long as Squirrel will let her get away with it or until she reaches the magical number that will magically net her bigger boobs.

Bad Teacher isn't exactly the kind of movie one turns to for any moral guidance or redeeming values. Big surprise. There's really not much of an identifiable point to it, either, which is exactly why it works as well as it does. Director Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) plays things on a very even keel, allowing the movie to flow from its own strengths rather than try to muscle in any sort of meaning where it shouldn't -- and doesn't need to -- exist. It's a straight-on laugh riot that gleefully examines an absurd life, defined by an absurd quest, in the middle of a clandestinely absurd locale. It's the richness of the inner-workings of both the school and Elizabeth's single-mindedness that drives the movie. The dual pursuit for larger breasts and a wealthy boyfriend -- which morphs into a knockdown, drag-out battle of wits and physical confrontations between two "educators" -- is the film's singular focus, with every moment of whacky dialogue, every instance of physical humor, and each outrageous event direct results of Elizabeth's carefree but calculated lifestyle. Not every gag or scenario works as intended, but the net result is easily a plus, and Bad Teacher winds up delivering an entertaining little ride through the darker side of education and the people to whom parents blindly entrust their children every day, every year.

The film's other saving grace is the combination of its cast and characters. Each character is cleverly written to the point that they're all incredibly eccentric in some way or another, but not obnoxiously or unbelievably so. The film is packed with an "outrageous balance" that allows the characters to be both relatable and far out there at the same time. It expertly blends their phony façades and true inner beliefs and motives as one slowly reveals the other, except for Elizabeth, who is actually the film's most balanced character, even if that balance paints her something of a mischievous, fun, and sexy "bad girl" who, despite her employment as an educator, couldn't give a you-know-what about any of her students. Indeed, the end result is an environment -- the school -- that feels like a living, breathing, real-life organism made of dynamic individuals and their differences both petty and irreconcilable, and not simply a make-believe set filled with a bunch of make-believe characters. The cast plays the movie brilliantly -- or as brilliantly as a movie as crude as this one can be played -- and seems to be having a whole lot of fun doing it. And that's the key to the whole thing. Bad Teacher is just flat-out fun; it's not a perfect movie, and it's not even the best Comedy of all of the school-based films, but it's an honest picture that plays it straight and delivers exactly as promised, nothing more and nothing less.

Bad Teacher Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's no substitute that can match Bad Teacher's exquisite 1080p high definition transfer. Sony's done it again, delivering a new release that's every bit as good as a Blu-ray can be. This one yields incredible clarity, impeccable detailing, and perfectly-balanced colors. Fine detail is wonderfully filmic and up to par in every single shot. It's not only facial and clothing textures that are strong, but all the little touches around the frame, whether blackboards, scuffs on the slick school floor, or even stains on a men's room urinal. Colors are vibrant but at the same time natural. Balance is faultless, and yellow dresses, red cars, and even colder gray and blue shades are inviting and lifelike in every shot. Black levels are faultless, ditto flesh tones. The image is absolutely free of background blocking, banding, edge enhancement, or any other unwanted anomalies. The print is spotless, and a beautifully preserved layer of film grain rounds one of Sony's absolute finest transfers of the Blu-ray era into sparkling form.

Bad Teacher Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bad Teacher features a typical genre-standard DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening title music enjoys fine clarity and an adequate sense of space across the front. There's a good general presence, a perceptible low end, and a light surround support element to music throughout, particularly the film's louder popular music tracks. Atmospherics are minimal and light; there's not many hustling-bustling school scenes, but more subtle ambience, like a light chilly wind blowing through the soundstage in chapter six, proves effective. There's a good sense of realistic space and reverberation in a school dance sequence, which is probably the film's most sonically-active stretch. Dialogue is perfectly balanced up the middle, is never garbled, and never becomes lost under surrounding support elements. This is one of those tracks that's unremarkable but pleasantly steady. It won't redefine the way movie soundtracks are handled nor will it become go-to demo audio, but Bad Teacher's lossless presentation effortlessly earns a passing grade.

Bad Teacher Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bad Teacher arrives on Blu-ray with a good number of fluffy extras. Also included are both the theatrical (92 minutes) and unrated (98 minutes) versions of the film. The unrated version also contains an "added footage marker."

• Jams Yearbook -- Hidden Moments (1080p): This interactive supplement allows viewers to learn a little more about all of the main characters: Students Arkady, Chase Rubin Rossi, Garrett Tiara, and Sasha Abernathy; and Faculty Amy Squirrel, Elizabeth Halsey, Lynn Davies, Scott Delacorte, Russell Gettis, Principal Wally Snur, Sandy Pinkus, and Ms. Pavicic. Included for each are brief bios, behind-the-scenes peeks, and clips from the film.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 4:58).
• Outtakes (1080p, 3:53): Boner, The Bachelor, Extended Amy Yell, and Extended Russell Rejection.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 5:44): Dr. Vogel Discusses Breast Enhancement, Robot Picnic, Boner Patrol, Scott Reads Tom Sawyer to Class, Springfield State Capital, and Elizabeth Confronts Student.
• Way Behind the Scenes with Jason and Justin (1080p, 5:38): The film's two male leads provide a string of humorous on-set, off-film dialogue.
• Raising More than Funds (1080p, 3:31): Cast and crew discuss the film's sexy Cameron Diaz car wash sequence.
• A Very Odd Blacksmith Story (1080p, 2:08): Co-Writer Less Eisenberg discusses -- and exaggerates -- his small part in the film.
• Swimming with the Dolphins (1080p, 3:35): A look at Principal Snur; the actor who portrays him, John Michael Higgins; and the character's love of dolphins.
• Good Teacher (1080p, 4:04): Cast and crew discuss what they believe makes a good real-life teacher.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• MovieIQ.
• BD-Live.
• DVD Copy.

Bad Teacher Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bad Teacher isn't must-see, life-changing filmmaking, but it's an easygoing, well-crafted, smartly-written, and nicely acted little cinematic diversion that surpasses its measly expectations and delivers an end product that's highly entertaining and well worth the effort. Is it destined to become a classic in the "School Comedy" sub-genre? It has some pretty stiff competition, but after watching more serious fare like Stand and Deliver and Lean on Me (outside the middle school classroom, please), it might make a for a pretty darn good free-flowing chaser. Sony's Blu-ray release of Bad Teacher passes every test. Perfect video, upper-tier audio, and a nice little package of extra goodies place this disc near the head of the class. Recommended.